At a glance
Carla Filipe and Taxio Ardanaz transform political archives into a visual dialogue, blending revolutionary posters and personal memories to rethink collective history at Tabakalera.
Meet the artist
Why go
A rare collaboration that bridges the political histories of Portugal and Spain, using a shared archive to show how social movements and failed utopias still resonate in the present day.
You'll see
Revolutionary posters · Large-scale textile banners · Plaster and clay installations · Archival films and sound recordings · New site-specific commissions
Pace of visit
Extensive archival displays and video components reward a slower pace for those interested in the crossover between history and contemporary art.
Don't miss
The shared archive installation in the entrance hall, where historical documents and process-based materials blur the line between evidence and artwork.
Artlovers Tip
Start with the shared archive in the hall to understand the artists' source materials before moving into the main galleries to see how these documents are transformed into finished works.
Inside the exhibition
KOOPERATIBA brings together the work of Portuguese artist Carla Filipe and Spanish artist Taxio Ardanaz at Tabakalera in San Sebastián, Spain. Curated by Ángel Calvo Ulloa, the exhibition investigates how collective memory and political movements are recorded and reinterpreted. Visitors encounter a landscape of graphics and objects that question the legacy of 20th-century social projects and the concept of working together.
The show features new commissions alongside research-heavy installations. Carla Filipe uses collages and press clippings to trace the impact of Portugal’s Carnation Revolution, while Taxio Ardanaz presents large-scale fabric banners and plaster works inspired by commemorative murals and popular architecture. A central shared archive in the entrance hall combines posters, photographs, and sound recordings from the artists' personal collections, blurring the boundary between witness and creator.
By placing these distinct practices in dialogue, KOOPERATIBA highlights the friction between official history and individual experience. The exhibition avoids nostalgia, focusing instead on how the visual language of resistance—from flags to protest banners—remains a powerful tool for navigating the present. It offers a dense, rewarding look at the physical and symbolic traces of collective action across the Iberian Peninsula and beyond.
Worth travelling for?
A rigorous and visually striking exploration of political memory, ideal for visitors who value historical context and the physical materiality of archives.
Experience as an Artlover
Open Tuesday to Sunday from 12:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 20:00. Admission to the exhibition is free, allowing for multiple visits to process the archival materials.
KOOPERATIBA
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